TSA plans to beef up passenger, cargo screening efforts

The Transportation Security Administration plans to screen all high-risk air cargo and begin installing new passenger and baggage scanning technology at airports in fiscal 2005, the agency's acting director, retired Navy Adm. David Stone, told Congress last week.

Stone fielded pointed questions from members of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security about what TSA is doing to improve airline passenger and cargo screening.

"The intent is for us to use our intelligence to be able to target shipments," Stone said. "Our intent is to do as much of that and achieve 100 percent [screening of] high-threat designated cargo in 2005, so that's our goal."

Recent breaches have highlighted gaps in cargo screening. For example, three men from the Dominican Republic were caught at Miami International Airport on Jan. 31 after hiding in a shrink-wrapped pallet on a cargo plane from Santo Domingo. The aviation industry has resisted mandates that would require screening of all cargo carried aboard passenger aircraft.

To address immediate gaps, TSA plans to hire 100 cargo inspectors and 300 additional aviation security inspectors this fiscal year, Stone said. By the end of fiscal 2004, TSA plans to test a new machine that inspects loose items not in containers. Stone said the machines could be fielded in fiscal 2005.

"We're keen to get those into the field in [fiscal 2005] to give us the capability to evaluate that in an operational environment as a possible piece of equipment that will help us get at this issue of inspection of cargo," he said.

Stone added that about 100 airports are participating in a TSA program that permits federal security directors at airports to use screener personnel and explosive trace detection systems to screen cargo during nonpeak travel times, if their workload permits.

With regard to airport checkpoints, Stone said his goal in fiscal 2005 is to begin installing "checkpoints of the future" at the nation's airports, featuring advanced technology.

Stone said TSA has undertaken a science and technology study to "marry" the vision and strategy for changing checkpoints. He said the first phase of the study will conclude May 7 and the second phase by the end of summer.

TSA also has launched near-term and long-range programs to develop next-generation explosives detection systems. Stone said he doesn't anticipate any changes to come from the near-term project this year.